I had been one of the Changelings at Canterlot. Our Queen Chrysalis had directed us to hijack the wedding between Cadence and Shining Armour. Only problem, we had inevitably failed.
Shining Armour and Cadence had ended our effort by banishing us with a 'Love Spell', and that was it. We had been scattered before the four winds in every direction, thus effectively scattering our Hive. They had thus banished us from our old Hive.
This Banishment really did hurt me. Left along, I wasn't exactly in the mood to look around, or try to find my way back to our old Hive, in case any of the old Changelings had made it there. I had assumed they felt just as bad as I did and thus lacked all strength to get anywhere from where they had ended up on banishment ion the first place.
Since I'm banished, I'm basically hated on all fronts. The Ponies already hated even before we had been banished, and now they had a real cause to hate us en Masse too. Aside from that, I wasn't expecting much support from any other Changeling Hive. I'm alone and on my own. The most I could hope for, is another Changeling in my own situation, close enough to find me on pure chance, however unlikely that could be.
I had had little to nothing to eat, as I finally did stumble upon the first Changeling. Apparently she had been banished from her Hive, after failing in some way. At first I had attempted to hide, as had she. Only it was inevitable, and we bumped together.
“Hi!” I simply greeted her as I had her clearly in eye sight.
“Hi!” she merely responded, and this is when I realised, I could at least have a companion in my depressed Banishment.
“What's the reason for your Banishment?” I chanced, as I saw her expression.
“I failed to return with the desired information on time. Living among Ponies can be very distracting. It's also a challenge to get any task done when you have Ponies watching your every step. At least they did not catch me as a Changeling!” she responded.
“I think we'll get along just fine. We don't have a Queen to report back to. At least now I'm not alone!” I pointed out.
“You're right on both counts. No Queen, no Pony, and just about nothing else. This is the kind of situation a Changeling would need her friend the most.
“Maybe I could have put up with at least one, if not both of them, just to get out our Solitude? Even if I could say that my Queen made a bad call, at the end. Your Queen's name wouldn't by any chance Chrysalis, right?” I continued.
“Sorry, I've never even heard of Chrysalis. I could give her a Chance, for a chance at getting out of Solitude, I guess. She's the Queen who tried to hijack the Wedding at Canterlot, I guess it wasn't the wisest of choices, but who am I to judge a Queen's actions? She responded.
“That's her. It did end up as poorly as you could have expected alright. Though, as you said, who are we to judge a Queen?” I responded.
Apparently I had managed to stroll from the fields and into a forest, feeling darker all the while as I kept walking, even with the companionship of a fellow Changeling.
“Abandoned. The Hive I belonged to was disbanded a while back. Not sure how long, since I haven't been in a state where I cared enough to keep track of night or day. I'm a lone Changeling, why care for such pointless matters? He stated.
“I know that feeling all too well. I barely cared enough to hunt for food, mainly hiding from who or what ever came by!” I responded.
“Since you mentioned disbanded, was it by chance Chrysalis Hive you belonged to?” she enquired.
“Yeah, that was my former Queen. You're not leaving me for her mistakes?” he stumbled in fear for her future situation.
“I couldn't do that. I'd have to abandon myself out of principles, or be a hypocrite. Can't do either, now can I?” I responded seriously.
“Good point. We're all alone without the support of the others. Neither of us would make it for long enough on our own. We're lawless to enemies to the ponies and either banished or abandoned to our fellow Changelings. We can at least make it without a Queen. At least for a while, particularly now since we're no longer entirely alone!” she pointed out with some strength and joy to her voice.
“Just a few more of us and we'd do well!” I suggested.
“A small Heard could at least make it. Speaking of which, if Chrysalis does manage to re-establish her hive be very interested in having us back. Not just because she would need as many Changelings as she could get her Hooves on, but also because she needs a Stallion for her Hive to come to life, the way she is used to!” she concluded.
Little by little, I had felt my mood change, even if it is ever so slowly, but the change is there. As vague and subtle as the changes are, it is a trend, making me feel better to good. If I could ignore it for much longer, but I was slowly building up a sense of hope.
“I think I feel something, if I'm not mistaken, there are two mares coming our way from inside of the forest. Correction, they have a filly with them!” he stated.
The three was apparently coming from where the old Hive had been, and this is a sign, the Hive is utterly and completely disbanded. Since our Queen had failed to return, they gave up hope on it. I guess it is amusing in a bizarre way, but it had failed, so it is no point in maintaining a failed Hive, not when the Queen isn't there.
Looking at the sun and correlating to where they were coming from is the best orientation a Changeling in our position could have. Their direction of approach told us everything we needed to know. As heart breaking as the news of our lost Hive disbanding was. At least, now we know where we are.
From what I knew, I soon made a mark in a tree facing due south. Surrounding the tree with stones in a pattern that should make sense to a Changeling. Knowing where I am now may seem pointless from the spur of the moment. Yet it may be important from a grander perspective, since it gave me a point of reference. I'm in good enough a mood to navigate back to where I am, and marking the place would help both me and other Changelings in gathering around this location. Maybe we could gather enough of us in order to establish ourself in this neighbourhood.
“We could hide in the forest, but it isn't the ideal place to stay!” the first of the Mares said.
“Let's heed for the closest rim of the forest, then we could rest there?” said the Stallion.
“Seems like a good enough idea. Our first priority is the safety of our Filly!” stated the second Mare.
“We need disguises, and Pony names in this setting!” I pointed out as we reached the clearing.
I chose the form of a light pink Earth Pony with red mane and tree finger leaves for a mark. Not sure what the mark could represent, but it looks like a good mark for an Earth Pony.
The two Mares turned mint green Unicorns with Cyan Mane and Tail. Their mark a scribbling board with a quill respectively three rubber balls. The foal they cared for turned into a matching Unicorn without a mark, since she probably would be more convincing as a blank flank in the first place.
My first friend, the mare chose a white Pegasus with light pink main and tail, and three misty clouds for mark.
The Stallion chose a light pink coat and brown mane and tail. His mark resembles a brown box with a blue Balloon, a yellow Star and a green Leave on the side.
“Call me 'Box', for now!” the Stallion presented himself.
“I'm Misty!” my first friend continued.
“We're Scribbles and Toys!” the Mares with the Foal followed up.
“You'd be Hope!” Box suggested to the little filly.
“Hope, Hope, Hope. I'm Hope!” the filly squealed.
“Yes, Hope, you're our little Hope!” Box reaffirmed our little Filly.
“Both a Foal, and a Stallion, this is as close to a Hive as you get, without actually having one!” I told myself.
“You all rest, while I have a short flight. I can as well see what the location looks like, from up there. I need to stretch my wings. Besides, we need to know what is around, before it hop up and nip us in the collective butt!” Misty suggested.
“Good idea, go stretch your wings while we rest for a moment!” Box responded.
As Misty caught the air, the rest of us gathered in a Ring around Hope, Box laying by her side. I look out as did the other mares while Box looks up to the sky, scanning for who or what ever may surprise us from the air.
The sky is clear, and not as much as a cloud grace our view. I could see trees of the forest, but little more than a squirrel or a bunny would show before us. Not exactly anything to be scared off, not even for a rugged group of abandoned Changelings on the run, like us.
Our Scout could be seen from time to time, several minutes apart. That's about as exciting as it ever got. Not that I was the one to complain, not at this point. I had had more than enough to complain about, getting abandoned and all that.
Several turns later, a feeling slowly started to grow within me, feeling a new Pony. It's not one Pony, but two Changelings, as it turned out. Two Mares. If it had been Misty that drew them towards us, or if they simply was flying by, who am I to say?
Half an hour or so after we had gathered on the soft green grasses of the clearing, the two Mares landed on the grasses, facing Box. Maybe it was intensional, or just dumb luck. Either way, it is how it went down.
The next moment Misty came down, joining the two new Pegasi who had just landed, and moved closer towards us.
“I'm Wind, and my companion is Nimbus!” the first of the two presented herself.
“I'm Misty, that's Box. There is Scribbler and Toys. Then we have Box and Hope, she's Leafy!” Misty concluded.
“You seems uncharacteristically comfortable here. Even if I can see you have the making of a nice little heard right here. More than we have back at our new little hive!” Wind pointed out.
“We can as well have a moment of rest. It's a long way back to Manehattan, were Ruby is awaiting us with quite some anticipation. Some of you may know her as Queen Chrysalis. She does have one thing going for her, we have all the Love we can take, if we're able to handle it!” Nimbus continued.
“What we didn't have, is Stallion and Foal. Besides, we did need several more Mares, mostly for the numbers!” Wind finished.
“If she's prepared to take us in, you have both a Stallion and a Filly right here. Besides, the Mares would come with me too!” Box pointed out.
“If nothing else would convince you to come with us, Flames is doing the cooking!” Wind then added.
“Wait, Flames? Is that by any chance her Royal Cook? If so, what are we waiting for?” I enquired.
“None other. Besides, she still has a large batch of Love Soup waiting for us when we get back. Your portions are waiting for you, when you get back. This is but a single days work, worth of Wealth!” Nimbus suggested.
By now, we had all gotten to our hooves, slowly moving in the direction the two Pegasi came from, towards the new home in Manehattan.
“Did any of you by any chance mark a place close by?” Wind enquired.
“Yes, I marked a place a bit into the forest. I figured it was good to see the place where we met the Mares and the Foal, since they came from the old Hive!” I responded.
“Clever reasoning!” Nimbus stated.
“Then the old Hive is basically dead. Scattered Changelings wondering ever outwards from there. We'd need to investigate and search for any remnants still out there. It's our responsibility. If any of them found Refuge with other Hives is for the better. Yet, we need to save as many as we can find, from the certain misery that awaits them!” stated Wind.
“Ad me to the list of Pegasi available for this task. Even if I don't know how many are out there, we have one Pegasus more than you knew of when you left the Hive!” Misty pointed out.
“I take it you've scouted enough to take us the fastest and safest way home now. I want to see our new Hive as soon as possible!” I said.
“There may only be the two of us, but we should be able to guide you home safely. Tree of us should manage to cover more ground with the next sweep!” Nimbus concluded.
There is room, a room for each and every one of you. Flames have a kitchen for cooking, and we have s currently small Restaurant. We held the opening night yesterday, just for the critics, in order to market ourself!” Wind added.
“We'll add the best for last, you'll see that when we get back home!” Nimbus pointed out.
“Living in Manehattan, now that's something new. I never had imagined the day would come!” Box confessed.
“The largest Citty in all of Equestria?” enquired Squibbles.
“Too many Ponies to count, and endless supply of Love for a Hive like ours!” Wind mused with a widening grin on her face.
“I just hope Flames will be fast enough, when the business heats up. We're predicting a few guests at the Restaurants. There is a Shop in the Basement, once we have enough 'Ponies' to manage that. Can't have any of us out of work!” Nimbus stated.
“Right now, I'd focus my effort on Hope, she needs to be cared for and educated!” Toys confessed.
“I would help Toys with the care for Hopes!” Squibbles added.
“We're here, Manehattan!” Wind announced.
“Right this way!” Nimbus added as she leads us in, into our new Hive.
Ruby apparently sits by a table as we arrived.
“Welcome back, Wind and Nimbus. I see you made a great job, each and every one of you will be highly appreciated!” Ruby greeted us.
Then I noticed three Girls. Strange as they look, they seem to manage to sit at the next table. The one thing recognisable is the mane like hair on the head of them. Even if their eyes look fairly normal to us. Then it hit me, they have the same pink hide, the same complexion as mine.
“There are the Girls, Hitomi, Chihiro and Riku. By the looks, I think you'll join them by the table, Leaves!” Wind pointed out.
“You'll pick a room in the Basement with us too!” Hitomi pointed out.
“At least I get a room. Do I get my own bed too?” I enquired.
“Flames will even give you a door sign before you get to bed tonight!” Riku promised.
“Seems I have already chosen my job!” I stated, taking the new form, with just the few small differences, since my eyes and mane still are much the same.
“You've volunteered for Scout service, Misty. We need you for a good long time!” Nimbus stated.
“Box, you have a choice, since you're a Unicorn, you could choose between cooking of sales in the Basement. Yet, your complexion means you could be a Scratcher too. Either way, we'd like for you to stay close by as the only Stallion on the Hive!” Wind suggested.
“Is scratching what the 'Girls' would do? I guess I could fill the spot, if you need me there. Otherwise, I'd like to look into the shop downstairs!” Box pointed out.
“Basement? If it isn't too much of a problem, I'd have a room in the basement!” said Toys.
“I'd love to room next to Toys, and have Hope with us!” suggested Squibbles.
“If there are rooms for you in the Basement, by all means!” Ruby stated.
“Misty, you'd have a room upstairs with Wind and Nimbus!” Flames laughed.
“If you have rooms for us up by that balcony, that would be ideal!” Nimbus responded.
“Sure are!” Hitomi interjected.
I'll just have to move a few more beds now!” Flames excused herself, rushing off to where our remaining beds lay, before she started to teleport beds to the respective rooms.
“We better heed down to see the basement!” I concluded.
“Take your time, settle in, we have work to do soon enough. For one, the Scratchers will be open and serving today. I have a few tables booked!” Ruby informed us.
Hitomi followed me, the mares and their foal down to see the basement. Then I picked the first room after them. Toys and Squibbles claimed the following two and yet one for Hope.
Once I reached my room, there is a bed waiting for me already. Apparently Flames had guessed which room I was to choose. When I came out, the sign is firmly on the door. Each room that is occupied now has a sign. Aside from my leaf, my Scratchers name was also printed clearly readable.
Apparently I'm now Hio. Box was named Taru, by the label.